After back-to-back series losses against LSU and Ole Miss — two of the elite teams in the Southeastern Conference — Mississippi State heads to Missouri. The Tigers own the worst record in the conference at 17-18 and 6-9 within the SEC. They are the only SEC team below .500 this season.

Missouri’s record is due in part to its pitching. The Tigers rank 13th in the SEC with a 3.90 ERA and sits last in opponents’ batting average at .278.

The series comes at the perfect time for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs pounded 16 runs against Alcorn State on Tuesday. They’ll now try to continue that momentum against the Tigers.

The offensive outburst acted as an anomaly this season for MSU. It ranks 11th in the SEC in batting average (.271) and runs (193).

Mississippi State shuffled its rotation again for the series against the Tigers. Trevor Fitts and Ross Mitchell switched places in the rotation. Fitts will pitch tonight while Mitchell is scheduled to go Saturday.

MSU still needs to solidify its Sunday starter. The Bulldogs have allowed 29 runs on 40 hits in the last two series finales. MSU coach John Cohen said Brandon Woodruff or Ben Bracewell were the most likely candidates to start in Game 3. Both pitched in MSU’s 12-2 loss in the series finale against Ole Miss on Sunday.

What’s at Stake?

The trip to Columbia, Mo., begins a stretch where the Bulldogs play the three worst teams in the conference. Mississippi State ranks as the fourth-worst team with a .605 winning percentage. However, the Bulldogs own better RPIs than Missouri, Texas A&M and Auburn. Even so, progress is needed.

Excluding Missouri (78), Texas A&M and Auburn both own RPIs inside the top 55.

MSU also plays No. 5 Ole Miss on Tuesday in Jackson. There are ample opportunities to improve a postseason resumé in the next couple of weeks against the worst teams in the conference. Missteps against Missouri won’t allow for that though.